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The theme of this “holiday” issue of The Sower is JOY in Everyday Life. As we look at the insane world around us, filled with suffering and sorrow that at one time or another touches all of us, it is hard to find much joy, at least any that lasts for any length of time. When circumstances around us are favorable, we can experience “HAPpiness” (the root of which—HAP—means luck or chance), but “perHAPs” we will then have a “misHAP” and we will no longer be HAPpy. In contrast, the Word of God says that true joy is something we can carry within ourselves, and that is what this issue is all about. No matter the circumstances in your life, you can make the choice to rejoice. |
What happens if you die? Has there been anyone who has ever lived who has not asked himself, or someone else, that extremely vital question? Probably not. Those who have asked themselves have obviously not gotten a satisfactory answer, and, sad to say, those who have asked someone else, even a Christian minister, have too often received answers that are neither intellectually nor emotionally satisfying. But anyone who has asked GOD, and allowed Him to speak through His wonderful Word, knows the truth regarding this life-and-death matter. This issue of The Sower addresses that question, and shows what God says about it. |
Summer is a time when we enjoy much of the fruit (literally) of our Spring gardening efforts. Certainly it is miraculous that putting a small seed into the ground results in many melons, strawberries, tomatoes, green beans, bell peppers, etc. What a great idea God had! His Word has much to say about the "incorruptible seed" the Lord Jesus places in each person who makes him Lord, and about the fruit that seed can bear in one’s life. This issue of The Sower focuses on the fruit of the spirit, as listed in Galatians 5. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control are the components of the character of God, they were the hallmarks of the life of Jesus Christ, and they are to be manifest in the life of each son of God, each Christian. The articles in this issue will help you live such a fruitful life. |
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In Acts 2 we find the record of the birth of the Christian Church on the Jewish holiday known as "Pentecost." What happened that day was almost as cataclysmic as what had happened about seven weeks earlier—the resurrection of Jesus Christ. No one had ever dreamed of a group of people who were born again of God's spirit, filled with His divine nature, and equipped to live life like Jesus Christ did, guided and empowered by him as the Head of the Body to which they belonged. This issue of The Sower focuses on how to live according to the leading of the spirit of God within. It shows that each Christian is a full time minister of the Gospel, and has an article on each of the nine manifestations of holy spirit, all of which every believer is to use. |
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This issue focuses on one of the most vital, and most controversial, topics in the Bible: salvation. When a person believes in the risen Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, is he or is he not absolutely guaranteed of everlasting life? Actually, Christianity (biblically defined) is the only faith system that answers that question in the affirmative. All religious systems (Christianity is not religion) teach salvation by works, which makes it uncertain, depending upon the behavior of the person. It is sad to say that even among Christians, many erroneously teach that a follower of Christ can “lose his salvation” if his behavior isn’t up to snuff. The Bible says differently, and that is what this issue of The Sower is about. |
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In this first issue of 2008, we launch our yearlong theme of "Truth Matters." This issue focuses on the concept of truth itself, something that today is under attack in our post-modern culture, which promotes the lie that there is no such thing as absolute truth. Jesus said that the written Word of God is truth, and that he, its primary subject, is also the truth. God repeatedly refers to His Word as "the" truth, indicating that it is the unchanging standard by which we are to evaluate all things. In this issue you will find articles discussing the biblical view of truth and the characteristics of truth. |
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